Found a cheap trick for levelling cabinets at a thrift store in Denver

I was poking around this old thrift shop last weekend and noticed a guy using ceramic tile shims under his base cabinets instead of buying those expensive plastic packs. He said a box of 50 cost him $4 and they hold up way better against moisture. Has anyone else tried something like that for getting things plumb?

3 comments

3 Comments

wade2501mo ago

Wait, you actually think ceramic tile shims are a good idea for cabinet leveling? I had a buddy try that once and the shims just crumbled under the weight when he tightened things down. They're made for tile, not for holding up cabinets that can weigh a hundred pounds or more. Plastic shims might cost a bit more but they actually flex and hold without breaking. Those ceramic ones can also crack if you hit them wrong with a hammer or if the cabinet settles over time. You're better off spending the extra couple bucks on the right stuff than having to redo your whole kitchen in a year cause the leveling failed.

lewis.mila1mo ago

Oh man, I gotta disagree with you there wade250. I've used ceramic shims on a bunch of heavy cabinets and they held up fine, never had one crumble on me. The trick is you gotta make sure they're fully seated and not sticking out where they can get snapped off. Plastic shims can actually compress over time and throw your level off, especially in a kitchen where things get wet and humid. I've had plastic shims squish down after a few months and then my doors start rubbing weird. Ceramic might be brittle if you whack em too hard, but if you're careful they're way more stable in the long run.

sage_moore371mo ago

crumbled under the weight" sounds like he might've used the wrong kind or forced them in wrong. I've used ceramic shims on heavy built-ins for years with zero issues, they don't compress like plastic can over time.